Bob Peacock Business Person of the Year
The Brampton Board of Trade is proud to announce that Bob Peacock is the 2015 Business Person of the Year.
Bob is the President of Almag Aluminum Inc, a service driven, custom aluminum extruder based in Brampton. A family-owned business started by his father, Almag has grown steadily by being profitable in almost every year of its 60 year history.
"Bob has great passion for his business and his community. We are elated that we are able to honour his long service to the community and the business community", says Jaipaul Massey-Singh, Chair of the BBOT Board of Directors.
"It’s a humbling experience to be sleected as a peer among a long list of people I admire. I am honoured to be in their company", Bob says.
Bob graduated from the Engineering program at the University of Waterloo in 1984 and earned his MBA from York University in 1989. He has a wonderful wife, Deb, who is CEO of the Peacock Household, which includes 2 active twentysomethings.
Almag has been a finalist in Canada’s 5th Best Managed Private Companies and was selected as the winner in the Advanced Manufacturing category of the Brampton Outstanding Business Achievement Awards in 2010. Almag has also won "Best In Class" in 3 of the past 5 International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competitions, sponsored by the Extrusion Technology Foundation, a US based organization promoting education and product development for the Aluminum Extrusion industry throughout the world. Â Almag is the only company to have accomplished this level of success in these competitions.
"We built our business on the strength of being able to provide something different, in our case speed and high finish, things that our competitors were either unwilling or unable to do. We are not the low cost producer but we will do anything to meet a customer’s needs."
Bob says he is in a position now to "let other people drive the business and I have excellent people working with me."
Bob has been active on a number of Boards of Directors, including Rotary, the Brampton Board of Trade, where he was President, and the Aluminum Extruders Council, an Industry Trade Association. He is presently a Director of a Cottage Association and the William Osler Health System Foundation and is the Chair of the Campaign Cabinet for the new Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health Wellness.
Giving back to the community was something his parents encouraged.
"We were fortunate as a company to get into Brampton in the 70s, with great highway connections, proximity to the airport, a tremendous labour pool and we have been well supported since that time", he says. "I just feel it’s important to repay that in some small measure".
The Brampton Board of Trade has been the voice of business for business since 1887. The Board has selected a Business Person of the Year since 1978. Previous recipients include Max Rice, John Cutruzzola, Iggy Kaneff, George Chiu, Doug Munro, Rob Filkin, Linda Ford and David Sharpe. A tribute in Bob’s honour will be held at the The Business Excellence Awards Gala on April 30th, at Pearson Convention Centre 6 pm – 9:30pm. Check www.bramptonbot.com for details.
